Question:
How many meals, size of meals, & contents of meals should I be having at 6 months

post-op to be healthy & successful? What were your doctors/dieticians instructions?    — katieliz49230 (posted on July 19, 2000)

July 19, 2000
Hey Kathy. I'm 6 months post op RNY. I'm no doc or nutritionist but will tell you how I'm eating. I've lost 80 pounds and am 10-15 pounds from goal. I can eat about 2-3 ounces of meat, like steak, pork, or hamburger. I usually eat protein first. I eat all vegs usually 1/2 cup. For breakfast I may eat 1 piece of cheese toast. Tuna and chicken salads do well and I can eat 1/2 cup with crackers. I can eat a BLT sandwich,almost. My doc wants me to eat 6 small meals but I find that hard to do. I eat a piece of string cheese for snacks. I found some no sugar added chocolate frozen bars, some ice cream sanwiches, and klondike bars that I eat occasionally to satisfy my sweet tooth. I eat WOW chips,fatfree kind too. I take my vitamins and try to get my water in. The last time I had my labs checked, everything was normal except my iron was slightly low so I've upped my iron intake. Fruits, I eat bananas, peaches, unsweetened applesauce. Hope this helps a little. Email me anytime. Lou Ann
   — Lou Ann J.

August 1, 2000
I am a little over 6 months post op & have lost 88 lbs. I do mostly tuna, chicken & I love cheese - I still can't eat hamburger meat or breads (which is a good thing). I also get the Blue Bunny Sugar Free/Fat Free IceCreams for a special treat. Those protein bars are as high in calorie as a candy bar. My doc says if the first 4-5 ingredients include sugar, fructose, suctrose, or any other name for sugar, it's not for me. If there are no listing on the label, it probably means high everything & they hate to admit it. That is an easy rule to go by. I also watch calories/servings. SnackWell cookies are "diet" but have same calories compared to reg cookies. Just be careful when choosing - be a label reader. Also watch for fat grams - shouldn't be over 4-5 grams on this either. I hit plateaus about every 5-6 weeks (about every 10 lbs or so. Hang in there, they seem to come off like 5 or 6 lbs at a time. I am not worried, I know I will get there. I've gone from a size 22-24 to a junior 11. I've lost 13" in my waist, bust & hips, and over 7" in my arms! So, take heart - it will go away, with patience & persistence. Good luck Pat B
   — Pat B.